In an episode of the Matburn Podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu standout Keenan Cornelius made waves with his candid remarks about the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation and its flagship event, the Gi Worlds. Cornelius, an ADCC medalist and No-Gi BJJ World Champion, has never shied away from expressing his opinions on various aspects of the sport, often stirring controversy in the process.
Cornelius, who owns Legion BJJ academy in San Diego, stated, “The IBJJF are no longer the premier event. No one cares about IBJJF worlds anymore… It serves a purpose for hobbyists now, I think.” He went on to predict that while the IBJJF will continue to exist as a profitable business, its cultural impact will diminish significantly compared to its heyday from 2008 to 2018.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly played a role in this shift, forcing the IBJJF to drastically reduce the number of competition events worldwide. The absence of the IBJJF Gi Worlds in 2020 further highlighted the challenges faced by the organization.
Cornelius, who has won all major IBJJF Gi competitions except for the Gi Worlds at black belt, noted a growing trend among his students: “I know most of the competitions my students have done this year are just a million random competitions that people start, that are small that are not IBJJFs.”
The outspoken grappler also predicted a widening gap between gi and no-gi jiu-jitsu, suggesting that media companies will eventually choose sides. “It’s a different culture now. There’s a gi culture and there’s a no-gi culture,” he explained.
Looking at Google trends since then – it looks like he was right.
And if we look further back you can clearly see that winning IBJJF Worlds was a peak accomplishment in BJJ.
Cornelius isn’t alone in his assessment. Craig Jones, another prominent figure in the BJJ world, expressed similar sentiments a few years ago. While promoting the Australian promotion Boa Super 8, Jones controversially stated, “What attracts me to no-gi is that nobody really cares about gi jiu-jitsu from a spectator’s point of view.”
Jones went even further, highlighting the financial struggles faced by many gi practitioners: “I watched guys spend their whole lives dedicated to the gi and they’re all the same, they’re broke – nobody’s heard of them. They can’t get paid for seminars. It’s like .001% of guys actually make any money in gi jiu-jitsu.”
When Gordon Ryan claimed he was the only person that could save Gi BJJ
In a conversation with Joe Rogan, grappling sensation Gordon Ryan made a bold claim, suggesting he is the only person capable of saving traditional Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition.
Despite his dominance in No-Gi grappling, Ryan criticized Gi competitions for being overly tactical and slow-paced, often boring to spectators. He believes that his dynamic and submission-focused style could inject excitement back into the Gi scene, drawing more viewers.
Ryan noted that the current format, with matches often decided by minor points or advantages, lacks the entertainment value needed to appeal to a broader audience. Although Ryan once considered transitioning to Gi competition, as well as MMA, his health issues and successful No-Gi career have led him to stay focused on his current path. He has expressed concerns that Gi BJJ risks becoming obsolete if it doesn’t evolve to be more engaging for spectators.
